Changeable exhibitor



July 25, 1933. A. J. KAUFFMAN CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR Filed Deo. 5, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July z5, 193s.

A J KAUFFMAN CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR Filed Dec. 5. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zfxl@ 4)(4261252/40 ou@ @MOMO o @fo @Cog July 25, 1933. A J. KAUFFMAN CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR Filed Deo. 5. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 25,` 1933 g UNI-"runN srA'rss Partnr erstes ALBERT JOHN KAUFNMAN, or New YORK, N. Y., AssrGNon 'ro TRANS` AD rNoOnro- RATED, or NEW YORK, N. Y., n celeron-Arron or Newv YORK CI'IANGEABLE EXHBTOR Application filed December 5, 1931. Serial No. 579,273.

In changeable exhibitors, especially of the type employing indicia carrying cardsy Or plates, it is a desideratum to permit. facile and expeditious replacement of the cards;

- especially is this true with power operated exhibitors, wherediiiiculty is usually experienced in stopping the mechanism at a vpoint of vantage andin removing the cards or plates without af considerable loss oftime and inconvenience. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a removable connection between the carriage and power means to permit manual operatiog of the carriage and to provide card embracing means at both ends of the exhibitor which are also manually movable without the aid of instrumentsto permit the cards to be removed from both ends of the exhibitors.

Another object of the invention is to prozu vide anexhibitor in which the cards are arranged in groups with yieldable means to retain each group within a predetermined zone,yet permitting'the cards to be selectively urged outside of said zone when pressure is exerted-onl a card during transfer thereof from one group to another.

Still another Object of the invention is to provide a changeable exhibitor which is positive in its operation and the moving` parts thereof embraced byv anti-friction means to permit operation ofthe card transfer mechanism with a minimum resistance,

tageous in carrying out the principle of the'V invention, which is shown in the accompany- 4.5 ing drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of an exhibitor constructed in. accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionview there* of, taken above the indicial carrying cards or platesand showing the latter in top plan;

Figis a cross-sectionalview, taken -on` the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the di,- rection of the arrows;

Fig. 4; is a cross-sectional view, taken on 55I the line i-i of Fig. 2, lookingin the direction of the arrows; v

Fig. 5 is a detail, fragmentary plane view` of the carriage operating mechanism and the bottom of the exhibitor frame;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the indicia plate carrying table or platform, showing the carriage associated therewith;

Fig. 7 is alongitudinal, fragmentary sectional view, taken along the line 7 7 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a detail fragmentary top .plan view of the `exhibitor showing to advantage some of theindicia bearing cards and the means employed for selectively moving the same;

F ig. 9 is a detail fragmentary.cross-seca tional View through the bottom of the car-l riage,`showing to advantage thev manner of connecting the carriage to the power means Fig. 10 is ay detail perspective view of the bearing block and bearing pin formingy y the connecting unit between the power chains() and carriage; f

Fig. 11- is a perspective'view of one off the card transfer dogs; and Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the yieldable spring abutments used between the groups of cards or plates..`

The deviceof the present invention'embodies a frame, generally designated 13, `which in the .present instance, is shown `to be of rectangular configuration and embodies apair of baseblocks 14rand top blocks 15. The frame also embodies rods or bars 16, the ends of which'are detachably mounted in the blocks 14. A `rod or bar 17 rises upwardly from the `upper'face of each 95 of the blocks 14 and has' its upper terminal engaged in the blocks 15. Said blocks v15 also receive the'opposite terminals of rods or bars 18, the latter being arranged in parallelism tothe rods or bars 16.

'y zo which complement similarly formed races On the rods 16 I sleeve a pair of bearings 19, which are intermediate the ends of the rods vand, remote from the base blocls, 14. The bearings 19 support-the opposite ends `of acradle 20, in which an operating chain 21 is mounted. A shaft 22 extends upwardly vfrom each of the bearings 19 and extends through the bottom of the cradle 20. 'Each shaft 22 is equipped with a sprocket wheel 23-which `is suitablyspaced fromy the bed of the cradle." The sprocket wheelinay be i held fromdisplacement by a retaining screw 24. A sprocket chain 25 is trained aboutl the wheels 23 and carries a bearing block 26. The bearing block is provided onits under face with a longitudinally 'extending groove 27,111 which a roller bearing pin l28 ismounted to ride. The pin 28alsolservesfI to connect apair of the links of the chain 25.

lends of the base 30 and platform 31, the' ksides of the base being housed within the carriage 34, but'suilieiently spaced' therefrom to accommodate lball bearings 35the latter being mounted in the races 32' and The under face of thecarriage 3411's provided With guide flanges 36 which are adapted for the reception of ribs 37, formed on `the opposite sides ofl the bearingblock 26. It consequentlybecomes apparent that thehpower chain 21 is connected to the car# riage 34 through` the medium of the block 26and pin 28. VVhenin this positio`n,lrota `v tion of the chain 21 `imparts movement to t-he"carriage 34 in a manifest manner, to reciprocate it back and forth between the end rods .17 ofthe exhibitor frame 13. Then it is desired todisconnect the power means from the carriage, the block 2d and pin 28 are removed, thereby permitting the` carriage34 to be manually operated.

A channel plate, which complements the platform `31, is mounted inthe top of the framel, between the top rods 18 and extends in parallel relation to said'-platformy throughout the `.length of the frame. The

- platform 31 is adaptedto receivey a plurality of indiciabearing cards or -platesf39 which are preferably arranged inggroups on the opposite sides of the-,transverse center line of the exhibitor frame, as shownto .ad-

vantagein Fig. 2.` rl`he cards or plates 39 are slidable between the platform 31 and plates, itis desirable to selectively transfer a card or plate from one group to the other and vice versa. For this vpurpose I mount on each side of the carriage 34, a bracket 41, in which a dog 42 is journaled. Each ofr the dogs 42, rvin the present instance, is shown to consist of a lever, one end of which is bent at right angles to extend over the upper nuirginl of tin` platform 31 in order to im pinne against a plate or card 39,1as illus-v trated to advantage in Figs. 12, 4Y and 6. Each dog is held in yieldable engagement with a card or plate by means of a spring 4S, which is coiled about theshank of the dog, having` one end thereof anchored to said shank and the opposite end securedvto the bracket 41. `"liloi'femcntof each dog in a direction counter to the direction of travel of aplatc or card 39 is prevented by a stop 44,v carried by the 'shank ofthe dog, which bea-rs against the bracket 41` as 'illustrated to advantage in Fig. 4. It will consequentlybe apparent that when` the carriage 34 is movedfin the frame, the outermost card 1n one. group of plates is moved toward the othergroup, while reverse movement Aof the carriage brings the other dog into play for transposing `the innermost card of the opposite group tothe other end of the casing `As advantageously illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the group of plates at one end` yof ,the frame is urged forwardly by suitable means, such for instance, as flat springs 45, while the group of plates at the opposite end of the frame is urgedvrearwardly by' suitable` means, such as fiat springs 46. In this way the'cardsor plates are at lall times held in position lfor selective interception bythe dogs 42. y t 1 Itis desirable 'to retainV each group of cards .or plates compact-ly within a predetermined Zone between the blocks 40 and a point remote from the end of the'` platform 31. For this purposel employ lie'xor brackets, generally vdesignated 47, one of which is mounted at `each fend of the frame. Each flexor bracket compriscsa bolt 48 which is slidably mounted through an end bar or rod 17 and has its opposite,terminalengaged with side 1 plates .49, the latter Aembracing lie within the conlines Lof the end rods 17` andtherollers 50 ofthe fiexor bracketslare normally urged` into engagement withthe outeil ends of the cards 3'9'byV reason of the springs 51. @ne of each vof the springs 51 is lielically wound around thebolt i8 on one side onlyl of the rod 17, asl shown to advantage in Fig. e. Onev end or" each spring is anchored'to one of the side platese) Vand the opposite end secured to the end rod 17.

By mounting the spring 51 of each bracket on one side only of the rod 171, it will be understood that said bracket e? may be moved laterally to provide, a clearance spaceat one side of the saidrod 17, to permit engage intent or removal of the cards). Furthermore, since the flexor brackets 47 are yield? able, it isapparent that in the transfer of a card from one group to the other, the card being transferred may" move beyond the normal zone ofthe card group, as shown at the left side Aof Fig. 1 of the drawings.` As soon, however, as the carriage reaches its terminus, pressure on the card Ais releasedV and the latter iorced inwardly into parallelA relation wit-l1 the'remaining cards 'of the group by the expansive action of the liexor bracket. y p

Since clearance spaces are provided beyond the ends of the center blocks Ll0, to pei'- vent casual movement of cards through these spaces and with this end in View, I mount a pair of abut-ments 52 in the blocks 40. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, each block e() is adapted to` be provided with a longitudinally extending recess 53, the sides of which are straight, the recesses being adapted to receive the squared ends 54: of pintles 55. Each of the abutments 52 preferably consistsof a plate, one margin of which is coiled about one of the pintles 55, theopposite margin thereof being provided with transversely extending slots 56 adjacent the opposite ends of the abutment. rIhe portion" of each abutment beyond the slots 56 is bent outwardly at right angles to provide a finger 57. Each of the abutments 52 is normally urged outwardly over'the opposite sides of' the platform 31 by a spring 58, which is coiled on the pintle and anchored thereto and to the abutment. The pintles 55 ai'e free to relatively move in the recesses 53, but are norinallyurged apart. `For this purpose I have inounteda spring 59 in eachrecess 53, the opposite ends of the spring bearing against the extremities of the pintles. The free margins of the abutments normally ei;- tend outwardly toward the sides of the platv-forin 31, in which position the pintles are mit the passage of the selective cards, it be-- .pended ment is directly in back of the innermost card of the other group. y It will be apparent that,'in this position, reverse movement of .these cards beyond the blocks z10 is pre-` vented. I-Iowever, when the selectedy Cards1 are .moved in harmony with the movement,l of the carriage, the abutments 52-will be impinged by the selected plates or cards and urged inwardly against the resistance of the springs 59. As soonv as the selected plates or cards have been transferred, the abut# ments, under the expansive action of the springs 59, are re-urged outwardly to the outertermini of the recesses 53 of tliecenterl blocks. For the purpose of illuminating the cards 39, I 'provide illuminating agents which are. preferably mounted, `iii any desirable man ner, on the front upper rod 18. In the present instance, for this purpose, I provide twin lights 60, mounted above each card, preferably intermediate the ends of 'thel latter, the lights projecting outwardly from the` rod 18 and being uniplanar therewith The lightsinay besecured to the irodin any. de-A sired manner and may be illuminated from any desired source of energy.

In use of this device, vit is preferred to place the power chain 21 in operative connection with a suitable source of energy and for this purpose, one of the shafts 22 is eX- tended for engagement with a drive means. Rotation of the chain imparts movement to the carriage 3&1, which correspondingly moves the dogs 12 and transfer of the cards is effected in the manner already described.

The drawings illustrate a preferred form of the invention, but I am of course, aware that changes may be made in the structure within the scope of the claims hereto ap- That is claimed is:

1. In a changeable exhibitor, a table equipped with indicia bearing cards, a carriage .on the table, and means engaged with the carriage for moving the same, and a detachable block operatively connecting said carriage and means.

2. A changeable exhibitor including a frame, a table mounted on the frame and equipped with indicia bearing cards, means to slide said cards on the table, and means pivotally mounted in the ends of the frame and projecting inwardly over the ends of the table in the path of the cards to confine the latter within a predetermined Zone on the table, said means being yieldable lto` permit sliding 'movementof a card, under pressure7 beyond said zone.

'3L-A eliangeable exhibitor yincluding a frame, a table mounted on the `frame and equipped with a block intermediate its ends,

aguide'farranged on the frame vin parallel rel-ation to thetableand equipped vvitlra block' 'paralleling the table block, indicia bearing cards arrangedingroups onthe opposite sides of saidl blocksfand movable sing! ly beyond the l*ends ofthe latter, and relatively movable means` mounted in the blocks to prevent.movement ofthe cards in wone direction, said means being 'yieldable to permit movemeiitof the cards 1n the` opposltedirection; e 4

45A changeable exhibitor y including v a 'frameequippe'd 'with afplatform and Ya .guide p arranged on the frame in parallel relation tothe l'atform indicia Carr in(r cards slidably mounted between the table and guide,"

lmeans mounted on the opposite ends of the frame to limit movement of the cards to-` l'Ward the outer ends' of the frame, said means being,- laterally displaceable to permit engagement of the cards With and removal of the same from the table. 'A changeable exhibitor including a table equipped with groups of indicia bearing cards, saidtable embodying an inverted U-sliaped^base subjacent thetable top, a Carriage engaged,` by antifric'tion means, to said" table, dogs mounted on ythe carriage and overhanging the table to selectively engage theeards of each group to transfer them during movement of the carriage, a cradle mounted on the base bars of theframe subjacent the table, v,power means movably mounted 1n the cradle and 1n operative -connection*with the carriage7 and a power shaft `depending from the power means through said cradle;

7. A `changeable exhibitor including a `table for carrying groups of cards, said table comprising` a platform andA a base, the latter extending along` the longitudinal center of the platform in spaced relation to the sides thereof, a carriage embracing said base, antifriction. means slidably connecting' the carriage and base, and means on said carriage and projectingupwardly at the sides of the platform and over the top of the latter for `engagement with said cards.

ALBERT OHN KAUFFMAN.

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